Addressing Climate Resilience in the IAAM’s W119 Side Event at UN 2023 Water Conference, New York

Abstract

People, communities, ecosystems, and systems can anticipate, adapt, and recover from climate change. To align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the United Nations for 2030, effective management of water resources must recognise the value of water and incorporate this recognition into decision-making processes [1]. The demand for water resources has experienced a significant increase due to rapid population growth, urbanisation, and increasing water requirements in agriculture, industry, and the energy sector [2,3]. The risks of mismanagement of water can jeopardise lives and disrupt livelihoods, underscoring the urgency of addressing water-related disasters [4]. Sustainable water resource management required climate resilience, focussed on the IAAM's W119 Side Event at the UN 2023 Water Conference in New York. The two-day side event discussed climate change's effects on floods and droughts. In the current era, achieving climate neutrality through national diplomacy is crucial to achieving global sustainability. Unless progress quadruples, billions of people will still lack access to these basic services by 2030. The inadequate state of water treatment facilities, the emergence of new pollutants, and widespread water pollution all contribute to the exacerbation of this problem. Consequently, ensuring water security requires a concerted effort to mitigate the adverse consequences of floods and droughts. The United Nations decade of action on water and sanitation completes the comprehensive review, at the United Nations 2023 Water Conference (2018-2028) [5]. Fig. 1 shows a glimpse of the IAAM’s W119 side event during midterm comprehensive review of the international decade of action, water for sustainable development, 2018-2028. During the UN 2023 Water Conference, the IAAM delegation engaged in exchanges and talks with ministers, political figures, committee members, directors, organisational heads, commissioners, and experts. Achieving sustainable practices in the medium and long term requires the implementation of intelligent strategies that encompass both natural and engineered solutions. By effectively storing water in environmentally friendly and resilient grey infrastructures, we can achieve a harmonious equilibrium between the demand for water and its supply, while considering reasonable economic, ecological, and social implications. Since civilisation began, water withdrawals from aquifers, lakes, streams, river diversions, and damming have altered the water cycle, which plays a crucial role in shaping life on Earth. The current state of flood and drought highlights the crucial importance of better water resource management. It involves building a sustainable water resource capacity and implementing strategies to minimise vulnerabilities, enhance adaptive capacity, and promote sustainable development in the face of a changing climate. Climate resilience refers to the ability of individuals, communities, ecosystems, and systems to anticipate, adapt to, and recover from the impacts of climate change. Effective water resource management must recognize the value of water and incorporate it into decision-making to align with the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Due to rapid population growth, urbanization, and increasing water needs in livelihoods, agriculture, industry, and energy production, water demand has significantly increased. Thus, water conservation and clean water management are essential to protect human well-being. It was crucial that the IAAM's W119 Side Event at the United Nations 2023 Water Conference, New York focused on climate resilience to ensure the sustainable management of water uses and resources. The topics that were extensively discussed during the two-day side event included the effects of climate change on floods and droughts, integrated water management, nature-based solutions, the water-biodiversity nexus, technology and innovation, socioeconomics and natural disasters, international cooperation, gender and social inclusion, policy and governance, flood monitoring, and drought evaluation, among others. Institute of Advanced Materials, IAAM, Gammalkilsvägen 18, Ulrika 590 53, Sweden